Tekke-Pattern Rug (1951) With Factory Seal

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Description

This is a mid-20th-century Tekke-pattern rug woven in 1951 inside a Soviet state-regulated weaving workshop. The rug preserves the traditional … Read more This is a mid-20th-century Tekke-pattern rug woven in 1951 inside a Soviet state-regulated weaving workshop. The rug preserves the traditional Tekke gul arrangement, classic red ground, repeating octagonal medallions, and finely detailed borders influenced by historic Turkmen tribal weaving. Early post-war Soviet workshop pieces such as this one hold particular interest among collectors because they represent the transitional period when traditional Central Asian designs were still executed by hand using regional wool before later industrialization changed production quality and materials.

The rug displays the characteristic Tekke gul lattice: rows of octagonal medallions with ivory, burgundy, navy, and ochre highlights. These design features directly reference the historic Tekke tribal vocabulary. The workshop origin is indicated by the uniformity of the knots and border execution, while still maintaining the visual depth, slight irregularities, and wool texture associated with hand-knotted work.

The 1951 metal/lead seal attached to the backside is a crucial feature. These were officially used by Soviet weaving trusts (“kombinat” or “artel”) to document year of production and export authorization. This seal increases the rug’s documentary value and confirms authenticity to a precise year — something that tribal rugs typically cannot provide.
Wool quality is consistent with early Soviet-era production: durable, medium-pile wool with intense dye saturation and a stable color palette. The condition of the dyes and pile indicates that the rug has been well preserved.

The carpet is priced at appraised value, reflecting early Soviet-era workshop rugs with intact textile seals, which sell at a higher price than later pieces due to documented date, collectible value, and preserved quality. The appraisal is avalable upon request. See less